56 THE COMMON WHAT..??!. 



Though the ancients were Ecquainted with this fp&cies 

 of whale, jet it does not anpc;ar that they knew its ufes, 

 or praclifed the fifhing of it. Arillotle has dcfcribed it 

 by the name of the bearded whale, from thofe hairs or 

 llrainers that furround the mouth to prevent the efcape 

 of its food, when tlie animal difcharges the water from 

 its mouth*. Piiny has given it the name of Mujciilmy 

 probably for the fame reafon. 



It has already been remarked, that the food of this 

 fpecies is the medufa or fea-biubber ; and it is probably 

 the necefiity of procuring this food that coniines the ani- 

 mal in its refidence to the artic circle. Few of them are 

 ever feen fo far fouth as the BritiJJj (hores, though the 

 ancients mention a large kind that obcained its name, 

 from frequenting our coafts f. 



The head of the common whale is equal to one third 

 of the fize of its body : The fiftulas, or two orifices for 

 fpouting out the water are placed in the middle J. This 

 fpecies has no teeth : in their room are lituated the black 

 horny lamin<£ called whale bone, fo long ufed in the la- 

 dies (lays, in the conflrudlion of umbrellas, and for va« 

 rious other purpofes. Thefe laminae give off a part of 

 their fubHance which couftitutes thofe bridles that fur- 

 round the mouth, the fuppofed ufe of which has already 

 been defcribed. Clofely confined by thefe briftles lies 

 the tongue, the tendereft part of the animal, v^^hich was 

 formerly faked up as a great delicacy § : It is now ex- 

 tracted only for the fake of the oil ; of which it contains 

 no lefs than fix barrels. 



Ab^ut 



* Muirixyiri; Hid. anim. Lib. ill, cap. I2. 



•f ^/a/ito DelblAnis Baltena Britannka ma'tor. Plinv, Sat. Xi 



% Biitifh Zcology- 



§ Roudclct, npua WUIcigh. p. 37. c 



